More on Films

REVIEW: Horror Channel’s Chernobyl Diaries demonstrates how far a great premise can take a film

Travelling around Europe is a right of passage for any 20-something-year-old but when a group of tourists decide to abandon their planned route and spontaneously partake in some extreme tourism, let’s face it, they probably were asking for trouble.

With hopes of adventure off the beaten track, the travelers hire an ex-military tour guide who takes them to the Ukrainian town of Prypiat, which was abandoned after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster. Although the sightseers are initially thrilled by the eerie and desolate ghost-town, all excitement disappears when the group soon becomes stranded.

But what will they do when they discover they are not alone?…

The brilliant Chernobyl Diaries (2012) makes its UK premiere this weekend on Saturday, July 1 at 9pm on the Horror Channel. From Oren Peli – who first wowed audiences with his terrifying and original thriller, Paranormal Activity – this American disaster film stars Jesse McCartney, Jonathan Sadowski, Devin Kelley, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Nathan Phillips, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, and Dimitri Diatchenko.

Chernobyl Diaries is an excellent reminder of how far a genuinely cool concept can carry a film, as Peli succeeds once again in captivating (and scaring the living daylights out of) his viewers with minimal production values and a genius premise.

The creator’s signature documentary-style camera shots, featuring hand-held shaky-cam visuals, creates that creepy sense of realism as the tourists embark upon their journey. And the sinister build up is balanced out wonderfully by the acting of Berdal, Sadowski and Kelley, who capture the youthful silliness of the three lead explorers really well.

I would advise any thrill-seekers watching to wait the film out until its second half, as the subtle build-up of the first thirty minutes makes the hellish descent thereafter all the more satisfactory. It is when the group’s van refuses to start up that events really begin to spiral out of control.

Overall, Chernobyl Diaries is a movie driven by an interesting concept and is sure to get you screaming in terror this Saturday night. Oh, and did I mention there’s a random(/petrifying) appearance by a bear? Keep an eye out for that one.

More on Disney

Spider-Man is getting his very own channel

Great news, Spider-Man fans! Your favourite superhero is getting his very own channel, so you can now watch him in action all day, every day!

Today, Disney Channels UK and Ireland announced the exciting news it will launch a Marvel Spider-Man takeover on Monday, July 3rd. The takeover will run for the course of the month on the Sky and Virgin Disney XD +1 channels and wall-to-wall Spider-Man content will be available to watch 24 hours a day.

Highlights will include the world premiere of six Spider-Man Origin shorts, as well as a Spider-Man Homecoming 15-minute movie special.

Additionally, every single episode of Ultimate Spider-Man ever made will air during the month-long takeover.

David Levine, General Manager of Disney Channels UK and Ireland said: “This is the first time that we have created a takeover dedicated to Spider-Man, arguably one of the most popular characters from the Marvel universe and one of Stan Lee’s most venerated creations.

“The wall-crawler continues to draw kids to Disney XD so what better way to pay tribute to his genius than by giving him his own channel throughout the month of July when the whole world will be going Spidey crazy.”

Marvel Spider-Man takeover will be broadcast on Disney XD +1 from July 3-30 in the UK (Sky 608 and Virgin 708).

More on News

Rick and Morty season 3 trailer and release date revealed

A release date and trailer have finally been unveiled for the third season of Rick and Morty.

After months of speculation, Adult Swim has confirmed that all-new episodes of the hilarious animated series will arrive July 30 at 11:30pm ET. The latest installment is expected to consist of 14 episodes and will of course feature more bizarre adventures for Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty Smith.

The release date accompanied the first season three trailer which you can watch below:

“Welcome to the darkest year of our adventures,” Rick says. “Only a show this smart could be this stupid.”

Co-creator Dan Harmon previously explained of the delay on the new season. He said: “I understand and we are flattered that in an information vacuum, with the show so late, any morsel of info is going to have huge weight. But the truth is not dramatic. It’s quite boring. We love our show. It’s a weird show that we struggle to not overthink OR underthink. As for now, they’re drawing it.

“We don’t update on exactly where every episode is in pipeline for two reasons (uh oh sub enumeration): One is that we want you harassing the bosses as opposed to hard-at-work artists and editors, or writers that finished months ago. The other is that it is out of our jurisdiction to discuss schedule. That’s Adult Swim’s biz. Totally unrelated. Hence the info shortage.

“So, I’m sorry I can’t say “we fractured a creative valve in sector three” or “it’s Paul’s fault. GET HIM!” No hidden truth. We slow. Sorry. Part of what I was trying to express is that WE would sit and ponder, what’s the problem here, how can we write faster, why we so slow? And then we’d go “what made us faster in season one” and then we’d go “we didn’t sit here talking about this, let’s just do this,” etc.”

More on Shows

How to catch a sneak peek of The Grand Tour season 2

Amazon has revealed how fans can catch a first-look preview of the upcoming second season of The Grand Tour.

Amazon’s Prime Day will feature a brand new teaser for Prime members on Tuesday, July 11. Those subscribed will have access to the first glimpse of hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May filming the new season.

Viewers will be able to witness the trio on location in Mozambique, Switzerland and the UK in the exclusive Prime Day sneak preview.

Richard Hammond recently spoke out about his horrific car crash in Switzerland, admitting he thought he was going to die.

The Grand Tour star was airlifted to hospital earlier this month, after losing control of a Rimac Concept One electric car. Hammond had been taking part in the famous Hemberg time trial while filming for the show in Switzerland, with his co-stars Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

Richard posted a video to DriveTribe detailing the crash from his perspective. Recalling the terrifying incident, the presenter said: “I was aware that I was up high, and that inevitably the car was going to come down.

“And yeah of course there was a moment of dread – ‘Oh God, I’m going to die’.

“And also I was aware that the car was taking just such a beating. I mean if you look at those craters, that’s a big hole that’s just impact and it looks like the thing has been dropped from space to leave a whole that big.”

Full-frontal dating show Naked Attraction returns for second series tonight

Channel 4’s controversial dating show Naked Attraction is back for a second series, so prepare to see plenty more (not-so-)private parts. The first series shocked and intrigued viewers with its… read more

More on Naked Attraction

Full-frontal dating show Naked Attraction returns for second series tonight

Channel 4’s controversial dating show Naked Attraction is back for a second series, so prepare to see plenty more (not-so-)private parts.

The first series shocked and intrigued viewers with its full-frontal nudity, and now Britain’s most unashamed dating show is back with even more bums, boobs and bits than before. The programme promises even more nudity than last year and, for those of you who have not seen the show before, that’s no mean feat…trust us!

The first episode of the new series will include a total of 363 vagina shots and 166 penis shots, which is quite a lot of genitals in the space of just one hour. The new series will also feature transgender and pansexual contestants for the first time, as more singletons lay their feelings and their bodies bare in an attempt to find love.

Naked Attraction‘s concept is based on the show mantra: “We like to start where a good date ends… naked.” For each round, one single contestant gets an eyeful at five glass boxes containing different romantic candidates. Each naked body part is slowly revealed as the singleton decides who they will eliminate based on whether or not they like what they see.

The programme is hosted by Anna Richardson and airs this evening at 10pm on Channel 4.

More on Better Call Saul

Better Call Saul renewed for fourth season by AMC

Fans will be pleased to hear AMC has renewed the massively popular Better Call Saul for a fourth season.

The Breaking Bad prequel will return for another 10 episodes in 2018, meaning we get to enjoy following the stories of our favourite characters Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) and Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) for another year yet.

Better Call Saul season three landed on Netflix during April of this year and was met with excellent reviews from critics and fans alike. So it’s no wonder AMC wasted no time in renewing the show for a fourth instalment!

“Supporting artists we respect and admire; delivering truly outstanding character development and nuanced dramatic twists and turns; continuing a legacy of bold creative choices; loving writing that is the best in the business: Truly, ‘S’all good, man'” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios.

“Congratulations to Vince, Peter, Bob and everyone involved with Better Call Saul. Bring on season four!”

More on Love Island

The Love Island villa may have been filled with drama, tears, romance and rows for the last few weeks but viewers haven’t seen anything yet, as 11 new contestants are on their way to change the game completely.

During last night’s episode, it was confirmed there would indeed be new boys, new girls and a brand new villa. The announcement followed reports of a second house in which the male and female contestants would be separated and put to the ultimate test of loyalty.

A source told Mirror Online: “They’re going to split all the boys and girls up so they’ll be in separate accommodation.

“Even more newbies are going to be sent in this week to shake things up. It’s going to be the biggest thing to happen to the show.”

The insider added: “The secret location is going to be used for two or three days and new girls will be sent into the boys’ house to test them, and new boys will go into the girls’ house. It’s to test the loyalty of current relationships and it’s going to be explosive.

“Because of the villa’s remote location, the second house will be in the same town but is far enough away that both groups can get up to whatever they want.”

It was a short-lived visit for Simon Searles, as he was the latest contestant to be dumped from the island last night. Simon and his partner Tyla were voted by the public as the least compatible couple and it was then up to the rest of the villa to decide which one of them should walk.

Speaking after his exit, Simon said: “I’m a bit gutted to be leaving but it’s been a wicked experience. I’ve loved every minute and I am happy with the decisions I’ve made.

“Tyla and Jonny are in there now, they’re a couple, everyone knows it. And they better make a go of it otherwise I will have left for absolutely nothing so I’m rooting for Jonny and Tyla.”

More on News

Sky will replace numbered channels and introduce a cheaper sports package for consumers in an attempt to win back viewers.

Following a decline in viewer numbers, Sky has opted to drop Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and instead offer themed channels focussed on football, golf, cricket etc. The decision to rebrand, alongside the introduction of cheaper packages, is expected to excite a turnaround for the company.

The new channels will replicate the likes of Sky’s existing Formula One channel, the entire content of which is dedicated to one sport in particular. As well as the football, golf and cricket channels, Sky will also introduce Sky Sports Arena to cover content such as rugby and tennis.

Additionally, pay-TV subscribers will now be able to select cheaper package options, as Sky are set to decrease the least expensive offering to just £18. This will attract customers who were hesitant to pay the current £49.50 for the cheapest sports package available.

The strategy aims to boost viewing figures back up and attract more consumers, which may have dropped to the rising popularity of cheaper streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon, as well as the widespread availability of On Demand services.

Director at Ampere Analysis, Richard Broughton, explained: “There are a range of reasons why Sky would be looking at such a big structural change to its pay-TV service.

“In part it could be a response to the ongoing question of viewing numbers to traditional pay-TV sport. There is also a demographic shift where people, especially younger groups, are reluctant to spend so much. Get reluctant to spend groups, such as millennials, in on cheap packages and look to up-sell at a later date.”

More on The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour’s Richard Hammond finally speaks up about his memories of the car crash

Richard Hammond has finally spoken out about his horrific car crash in Switzerland, admitting he thought he was going to die.

The Grand Tour star was airlifted to hospital earlier this month, after losing control of a Rimac Concept One electric car. Hammond had been taking part in the famous Hemberg time trial while filming for the show in Switzerland, with his co-stars Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

His friend and co-star Jeremy Clarkson has already given his own account of the ordeal. However, Richard has now posted a video to DriveTribe detailing the crash from his perspective. Recalling the terrifying incident, the presenter said: “I was aware that I was up high, and that inevitably the car was going to come down.

“And yeah of course there was a moment of dread – ‘Oh God, I’m going to die’.

“And also I was aware that the car was taking just such a beating. I mean if you look at those craters, that’s a big hole that’s just impact and it looks like the thing has been dropped from space to leave a whole that big.”

More on Better Call Saul

REVIEW: Better Call Saul season one premiere airs tonight on AMC UK

Tonight, UK audiences can finally watch popular Netflix series Better Call Saul on their television screens, as the season one premiere kicks off at 9pm on AMC.

The first episode – “Uno” – opens unexpectedly with a monochrome montage. As the melancholy tune “Address Unkown” by The Ink Spots plays, the show’s protagonist is shown silently performing his monotonous work routine at the American diner, Cinnabon. We can see the worn down, scruffy-moustached Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) is now living a colourless (quite literally depicted by the black and white visuals) and isolated life since running away from his problems in the Breaking Bad series.

At this point, hardcore Breaking Bad fans might be hoping for a continuation of their favourite series, as Better Call Saul appears to pick up from where we left off. However, after the opening credits, the story actually backtracks six years prior to the Walter White timeline. But don’t let this put you off. In fact, it is credit to creator Vince Gilligan that he did not take the show in such a predictable direction.

The viewer is introduced to a man far from the slimy Saul Goodman we knew in Breaking Bad. Instead, we meet Jimmy McGill; a small-time lawyer who lives in the shadow of his older brother Chuck McGill and who is struggling to make ends meet. He’s not the flashy sports car owner we recall, but instead wears an ill-fitted suit and drives around in a rickety yellow car that has a bright red door replacement.

It was actually pretty genius of Gilligan to have picked one of the more one-dimensional characters from Breaking Bad and flesh them out with a deeper back story. After all, there’s really not much further they could have taken a bigger character like Jesse Pinkman, as much as we’d love to be reunited with him. Even in the episode’s first moments, we encounter a completely different side to Saul as he nervously practices his lines for a courtroom case in the bathroom. Here, we seem to have a man who actually cares about his clients and his future career. It is clear the series will answer some interesting questions about what led him to become the scam artist he is in Breaking Bad.

Better Call Saul may not take the series in the action-packed direction of Breaking Bad, but the formula and visual aesthetic remain very similar. There is even a cameo from Mike Ehrmantraut, played by Jonathan Banks, who starts off as a car park attendant…and isn’t Jimmy’s biggest fan. The show is slower-paced and more dialogue focused, but once you adjust to Better Call Saul as a stand-alone series in its own right, rather than a spin-off, new excitement is found in the potential for character development and a cleverly thought-out plot.

Better Call Saul premieres Tuesday, June 27 at 9pm on AMC UK on BT TV, and continues every Tuesday thereafter.